Sid Made the Right Call

Alright, I did my best to stay quiet, but sadly I failed.  The fault however lies with El Jones, and the decidedly racist comments that were made.  Jones was very hard on Crosby, stating that he should have fell in line with other athletes and protested.  

Jones also felt the need to state that Crosby and the overwhelmingly white NHL, needed little to no discussion over whether or not to visit the White House... says a great deal about "White privilege". 

wait a minute...  Is she calling the NHL and Crosby racist? Is that Okay?  

not for me it isn't.  

I couldn't make comments like the overwhelmingly Black NBA, or NFL...  Why is it okay for Jones to say this about the NHL?  Aren't his comments racist?  

anyone? 

Let me answer for you.   YES.   

P.K. Subban refuses to kneel.  He has too much respect, and what the Flag of the US stands for. Did I mention that PK was born in Canada?  A Canadian cares more about the flag,and the country than an American does.

Racial Inequality....  Do people think this started with Donald Trump? Do they think he is the first racist president?  

Before Trump, say back in the 50's and 60's...   there was Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. during their presidencies, racism was rampant in the South.  it wasn't until 1964 that all segregation was abolished.  During this time did Jackie Robinson take a knee?  did Joe Perry? I can assure you Donald Trump isn't the first so called racist president.  

Furthermore, Trump called the NFL players who took a knee "son's of bitches".  He was out of line, but what these seemingly intelligent players failed to realize is that they are disrespecting their country when they take a knee. If you don't like the president, then do something that insults him, not the country you live in, and supposedly hold above all else. I fear the pomp and circumstance that is Trump is all these people can see. 

Should Sid and the Pens go to the White House? Well let's look at the history....

The tradition of sports teams visiting the White House dates back to near or around Aug. 30, 1865, when President Andrew Johnson welcomed the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs. Ulysses S. Grant played host to the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869. The first World Series championship team at the White House is believed to be the 1924 Washington Senators, who visited Calvin Coolidge at the executive residence the following year. 

More importantly, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the first NHL team invited under George W Bush in 1991. So there is a long standing tradition of this happening. I don't want to spend a lot of time speaking of the fact that Trump may be the worst president ever, or that he WAS elected, but these are also factors.  

Back to my original thought, I dislike El Jones, or anyone else for that matter, making issues into race issues, when they don't need to be. Is the NHL predominately white?  Sure it is.  Is the NBA predominantly black?  Sure it is.  70% to 30 % to be precise. The NHL is admittedly a bit more skewed, at 93% white, and 7% Black. According to the NBA 2016 Score card, 74.3 % of players were Black, and 18.3 were white.  The other 7.4 % were indicated as people of color.

So if El Jones can elude that the NHL is racist, can I do the same for the NFL or NBA?  I'll save you the thought, I wouldn't.  I don't feel that the NBA or NFL discourage white people from playing, and I don't think the NHL discourages black people.  If El Jones needs a soap box to stand on, I'll happily make one, but I certainly hope the reason for the soap box is a real one.  

 Being invited to visit the White House is a time honored Tradition, and an honor.  If you don't like the Administration, well that's fine.  But make no mistake, it is an honor, regardless of who meets you at the door. 

I am not a racist person, and I try hard to ensure that I stay that way.  The treatment of Sidney Crosby and this issue, to me, feels racist.  They are saying he is racist white boy, and the team by proxy, is a bunch of racist white boys.  They are racist because they take an opportunity to visit an institution that wants to honor them...  Not for being racist, but for being CHAMPIONS. 

I hate these racism topics to tell the truth.  I have so much I want to say, so much that bothers many people, but if the world thinks that Sidney Crosby is a racist for going to the damn White House, then I wouldn't stand a chance....  

I want everyone to remember something that oft seems to be forgotten.  Racism is a 2 way street.  and in this world today, though many won't admit it, there are people of ALL races that are often prejudiced against another. 

So let's try to be good to one another, instead of looking for reasons to hate.  If we continue to hate, we give those who wish to keep racism alive and well, the fuel they need.